Episodes
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Bennett Potter, Director of Customer Experience at Fullsteam, shares insights on blending historical theology and tech to improve customer experience. He focuses on research-driven strategies, highlighting the need to address inefficiencies in core activities and understand root causes without bias. Bennett’s methods of process simplification and clear mission alignment foster a productive, enthusiastic work environment.
“If you can deeply understand the landscape of a problem, you can often find a solution quickly. That’s the beauty and splendor of research: you go down a path, and if it aligns with the right goal, you’ll find happy employees, satisfied customers, and plenty of work ahead to keep serving that goal.” - Bennett Potter
Bennett’s academic approach highlights the value of deep, structured learning in today’s rapid-paced world, contrasting it with the superficial appeal of mere curiosity. He advocates for “prudence over curiosity,” emphasizing the importance of diligence and depth in research. This approach supports strategic decision-making by encouraging a balance between broad knowledge and focused exploration. He also suggests that a rigorous, academic mindset can help organizations drive innovation, improve customer experience, and address systemic inefficiencies, thus sustaining a competitive advantage through continuous, meaningful growth.
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Christian Hörnebrant, Customer Experience Manager at Telia, shares his innovative approaches for modernizing contact centers. He details his “contact center nudging strategy,” which leverages incremental changes to improve customer experience and service conversions. He also emphasizes integrating technology with empathy for personal, consistent interactions and highlights the role of active listening and leadership in empowering teams to transform contact centers into value centers.
“Implementing the nudging strategy is a big undertaking, but if you get it right, you’ll see a massive improvement in customer satisfaction and conversions because you’re giving people what they want, when they want it.” - Christian Hörnebrant
Christian Hörnebrant highlights the powerful effect of small, targeted actions to enhance customer service. He emphasizes the importance of empathy and active listening, advocating for a shift away from outdated metrics. By guiding customers through personalized experiences, contact centers can boost satisfaction and loyalty. The key to this transformation lies in training agents in active listening, prioritizing customer needs, and positioning contact centers as vital contributors to business value.
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Chris Rojas, Head of U.S. Customer Service at Raisin, shares insights on transforming customer support teams from cost centers into value creators. He discusses building customer-centric operations, aligning stakeholders on service goals, and leveraging qualitative and data-driven approaches. He also highlights AI’s role in empowering agents, not replacing them, and stresses robust agent support to foster trust and reduce turnover.
"A great customer service that supports the success of any business is worthy of the right level of time and investment and can bring significant value to any organization." - Chris Rojas
Chris Rojas shares valuable insights on redefining service operations through strategic alignment. He highlights the importance of treating customer experience as a competitive differentiator, which can unlock significant value for organizations. Additionally, he emphasizes optimizing human-technology collaboration to empower service teams, ultimately driving success and enhancing overall performance in customer service.
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Vivian Malandrin, Senior Manager of Customer Experience at Amazon Brazil, explains how customer obsession fuels Amazon's continued success. She emphasizes the company’s strong culture and leadership principles that prioritize customer needs. She also describes how real-time feedback and anecdotes drive innovation and improvements.
“Customer obsession means that leaders, like every Amazonian, start with the customer and work backward from there. We always begin with the customer’s questions, pain points, and feelings.” - Vivian Malandrin
Vivian Malandrin’s insights emphasize that customer obsession is a transformative approach that demands dedication, empathy, and strategy. Her transition from journalism to leading customer experience at Amazon highlights the importance of listening and storytelling in business. By integrating these practices, businesses can transform customer experience into a core identity, driving loyalty and growth.
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Thomas Lehner, Director of Global Support and Operations at Spryker, shares his journey from entrepreneur to global leader in customer experience. He emphasizes the role of an entrepreneurial mindset in fostering innovation, sustainable value, and effective feedback loops for continuous improvement. He also discusses the importance of aligning product development with evolving customer needs.
“If we look at what is important in entrepreneurship, it all boils down to satisfying a need, and you need to consistently produce relevant and sustainable value for your customer.” - Thomas Lehner
This episode highlights the need for a business-savvy approach to customer experience. It's all about creating lasting value, always getting better through feedback, and blending human touch with AI smarts. This recipe helps companies stand out and really wow their customers in today's tricky market
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Anne-Sophie Engert, Head of Customer Care and Conversion at Sonova, stresses why boards should invest in contact centers by showcasing their potential to drive profits through superior customer experience. She explains that metrics such as CSAT, NPS, and repeat purchase rates measure success and demonstrate the financial return on investing in customer care. She also advises aligning agent traits with customer profiles to boost empathy and service quality.
"Customer service is dealing with the most valuable asset of a company—its customers. Investing in this department is essential to gather the most valuable feedback directly from those interacting with your brand." - Anne-Sophie Engert
Anne-Sophie’s strategy covers the importance of well-selected, trained agents and creating sustainable career paths, which enhance customer experience and the bottom line. By adopting this thoughtful approach, businesses can boost sales and build a loyal customer base. These strategies offer a blueprint for turning contact centers into profit centers and achieving long-term growth.
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Shareth Ben, Chief Customer Officer at Apptega, shares insights on executing customer success strategies in large organizations. He emphasizes the role of change management, internal collaboration, and data-driven decision-making in driving competitive advantage. He also highlights the importance of aligning internal processes to enhance customer outcomes and productivity.
"Change management is key. My years of customer-facing experience with enterprise clients are now helping me promote collaboration and achieve outcomes for both customers and the company." - Shareth Ben
The success of customer strategies is closely tied to how well internal structures and processes are aligned within a company. By breaking down organizational silos and fostering cross-department collaboration, businesses can streamline operations and create a more cohesive work environment. Leveraging data and promoting empathy further enhances both employee efficiency and customer satisfaction.
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Neal Dlin, Founder of Chorus Tree and the VP, Customer Service Experience at Aviso Wealth, critiques the outdated practices of 2024 contact centers, advocating for a shift from a manufacturing-based model to a human-centered approach. He stresses the need to understand employees and customers as individuals, challenges outdated KPIs, and underscores the importance of trust in agent interactions. He also advocates for a redefinition of metrics to place a stronger emphasis on delivering exceptional customer experiences.
"Everything else is just information, not the goal. That’s where the problem starts to arise. People need to experiment more and try new approaches while staying laser-focused on delivering great experiences for both customers and employees as human beings." - Neal Dlin
Neal’s insights highlight the importance of human connection and empathy in contact centers. By focusing on emotional intelligence and personalized experiences, organizations can turn their contact centers into customer-centric hubs, boosting satisfaction and business success. This approach also helps employees perform better, offering valuable guidance for adapting to the evolving customer service landscape.
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Michael Fulvio, Director of Customer Experience at SNIPES, advises against the usual focus on Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) as a KPI. He stresses using diverse data points like incident rates, first reply times, and fulfillment metrics to address customer issues, improve operations, and drive revenue, thus enhancing the customer experience. By broadening the scope of performance measurement, businesses can gain a more comprehensive understanding of their strengths and areas for improvement.
“My overall goal is to turn each of our customer interactions into data that the business can use to make other decisions about what’s going on.” - Michael Fulvio
Navigating contact center operations requires a multifaceted approach beyond conventional metrics, focusing on customer interactions. Organizations can unlock growth and customer loyalty by prioritizing data-driven decisions, nurturing agent retention, and integrating community engagement. Leveraging these insights will be essential for sustainable success and delivering exceptional experiences that resonate deeply with customers.
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Neelam Sandhu, Former Chief Elite Customer Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, & SVP Sustainability, shares insights on transforming sales strategies to focus on customer success. She discusses aligning sales with customer-centric approaches, the impact of technology on relationships, and key strategies for long-term engagement. Prioritizing customer success fosters sustainable growth.
“The most important thing for successful leaders is to build a team with a customer-obsessed culture. A team that collaborates effectively with others focuses on driving business success, and possesses strong technical expertise.” - Neelam Sandhu
Neelam Sandhu’s insights highlight the importance of investing in customer success to drive revenue and loyalty, integrating customer support with success strategies to enhance engagement and stickiness, and prioritizing customer-centricity to boost growth and profitability. By focusing on these areas, businesses can create a more cohesive and satisfying customer experience, leading to long-term success and a competitive edge in the market.
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In this episode, Craig Stoss, a Customer Experience Consultant with over 25 years of experience in the CX industry, explores the complexities of navigating the latest CX tech stacks, emphasizing the need to align technology with customer value. He discusses the impact of AI, analytics, and decision-making tools, highlighting their role in shaping and enhancing customer interactions.
Craig demystifies AI implementation and tech stack optimization, offering practical advice for CX leaders. He explains how understanding and leveraging these technologies can help organizations stay competitive. By focusing on the evolving nature of technology, he also provides a roadmap for CX professionals to deliver exceptional customer experiences.
“The key is to find the right partners, the people doing this the best, and the people selling the products (AI tools) that will improve your customer experiences across your customer journey.” - Craig Stoss
Craig Stoss’ insights emphasize understanding and delivering value in every customer interaction to succeed in CX. Organizations can enhance customer experiences using AI bots, video content, and augmented reality tools. Aligning technology with customer priorities, scrutinizing vendors' claims, and ensuring data quality is essential for effective AI integration. Companies can deliver personalized experiences, improve satisfaction, and drive sustainable growth by focusing on value propositions and optimizing processes.
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In this episode, Lisa Del Fabbro, Customer Experience Manager of Lamour, explores the evolving role of CX leaders. She highlights the importance of listening to agents, data-driven decision-making, and AI integration. Del Fabbro stresses that agents' insights are vital for effective CX strategies, ensuring leaders stay connected to the customer’s frontline experiences.
She discusses how focusing on agents, leveraging data, and tracking revenue impact can prevent CX leaders from failing. By integrating AI technology, CX leaders can enhance their decision-making processes and drive business growth. She also emphasizes the transformative power of a customer-centric approach, illustrating how it can significantly improve customer satisfaction and organizational success.
“It's crucial for CX leaders to listen to their agents and step into their roles, handling escalations and engaging in daily customer interactions. Higher-level positions may not typically require this, but it's vital for the department's success." - Lisa Del Fabbro
Agents in the evolving CX landscape are crucial for driving revenue and loyalty. Empathy and personalized interactions turn dissatisfied customers into advocates. A customer-centric approach and leveraging data and AI for optimization are essential. Despite AI advances, the human touch remains vital for complex queries and empathy. Blending data insights, technology, and human interactions is advocated for sustainable growth and loyalty.
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In this episode, Nate Brown, Co-Founder of CX Accelerator, explores the servant challenger mentality in customer service, stressing the fusion of service and innovation. He champions a mindset where organizations meet and exceed customer expectations by fearlessly questioning norms.
Nate emphasizes that embracing this approach is about satisfying customers and redefining their experience through proactive engagement and inventive solutions. He urges companies to empower their teams to step beyond conventional performance metrics by encouraging a strategic, forward-thinking view of CX. This empowers them to foster authentic connections that resonate deeply with customers, driving loyalty and advocacy.
“We're challenging our customers to navigate the path even better, but it requires us to jump alongside them and push them in good and healthy ways.” - Nate Brown
In the realm of CX, Nate Brown’s insights champion the servant challenger mentality, urging organizations to embrace curiosity, challenge norms, and champion innovation. This approach enhances customer satisfaction and empowers teams to deliver exceptional experiences, setting them apart in a competitive market. Organizations can cultivate lasting relationships and drive sustainable growth by fostering a culture that values continual improvement and development.
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Sri Velamoor, Vice President of Global Support and Product Enablement at Workiva, discusses the importance of customer experience as a revenue growth driver. He emphasizes the necessity of addressing customers' emotional needs by aligning his concepts with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. He also illustrates how exceptional customer experience can give companies a competitive edge, fostering growth by delighting customers and addressing their higher-level needs.
“Customers are people, and people have feelings. How you make them feel is significantly more memorable and impactful in terms of whether they choose to stay, spend, and recommend your business.” - Sri Velamoor
Sri discusses key elements of customer experience. He emphasizes the importance of product functionality and trust for engagement and retention. He highlights how fostering community and aligning with customer values enhance loyalty and emotional connections. He also explores how fulfilling customers' esteem and self-actualization needs can drive growth and advocacy.
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Andreas Janssen, CEO at Blauband GmbH, discusses human intelligence in customer support on the Contact Center Prospectus podcast. He stresses AI's role in enhancing processes but emphasizes human agents' irreplaceable abilities in personalized customer experiences. He also highlights customer support's strategic value for growth and satisfaction, urging businesses to prioritize it beyond a cost-centered mindset.
“The human brain has strengths that cannot be replaced by artificial intelligence.” - Andreas Janssen
Customer service in e-commerce is a strategic asset that fuels growth, strengthens customer relationships, and sets brands apart. Combining human touch with AI-driven insights boosts satisfaction and loyalty. Recognizing its value, businesses can leverage customer service for success and sustained growth in the digital era.
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Chancy Chen, Head of Omnichannel Customer Experience at T&T Supermarket, explores the evolution of omnichannel experiences in retail, emphasizing the shift in consumer behavior during and after the pandemic. He highlights the importance of a seamless approach to customer service, transforming it from a cost center to a revenue generator. He also demonstrates how improved customer experiences drive business growth and sales by enhancing employee satisfaction and leveraging data.
“As a customer experience leader, always be open-minded, always be leading the change. Don’t stay in your comfort zone.”- Chancy Chen
Mastering omnichannel customer experience is essential for brands in the digital age. Chancy highlights that aligning goals, empowering staff, and leveraging data are key to delivering exceptional experiences. Retailers can drive revenue growth and build long-term consumer relationships by focusing on innovation, collaboration, and customer-centricity. Embracing change and data empowers retailers to deliver seamless, personalized experiences, positioning them as industry leaders.
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Madelene Motin, Head of Customer Service at STRONGER, shares her extensive experience in customer service. She explains how customer service can evolve from a cost center to a growth driver. She shares examples of leveraging customer feedback, proactive strategies, and cross-department collaboration. She also highlights transforming customer service into a strategic asset by focusing on satisfaction, revenue growth, and employee empowerment.
“Customer service is the heart of a company, and all companies must know that customer service is the one sitting on the gold because we know what the customer wants.” - Madelene Motin
Madelene emphasizes the importance of establishing strong processes to convert customer insights into actionable outcomes. She advocates for fostering a culture of continuous improvement through data-driven insights and stresses the significance of team education and cross-functional collaboration. These strategies drive business growth, enhance customer retention, and deliver exceptional customer experiences.
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Steve Kaay, Contact Center Consultant at Kaay Enterprises LLC and an industry veteran with 30+ years, challenges the belief that outsourcing diminishes quality. He advocates for outsourcing's potential to enhance customer interactions by selecting the right BPO partner and investing in agent training. He also stresses the importance of culture and trust in outsourcing relationships. This discussion redefines outsourcing perceptions, offering crucial insights for businesses contemplating customer interface outsourcing.
“You can increase the quality of the interactions and interfaces with your customers through outsourcing. Pick a good partner and cultivate the relationship to help them understand what you need to be successful.” - Steve Kaay
Outsourcing enhances quality by improving customer interactions through the right partner, training, and excellence. Dedicated outsourced partners deliver exceptional service and better business outcomes. As AI handles transactions, outsourced agents focus on consultative roles, becoming crucial. Outsourcing provides access to talent, benefiting companies and customers. The decision to outsource should prioritize quality enhancement, not just cost reduction or extended hours, embracing the excellence of strategic partnerships.
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Harini Gokul, Chief Customer Officer at Entrust, discusses how contact centers drive growth and impact the business's bottom-line revenue. She emphasizes customer engagement and proactive problem-solving and challenges the view of contact centers as cost centers. She also discusses changing mindsets, the importance of agent turnover, AI's impact on agent roles and thought leadership in contact centers.
“A dollar today is more expensive than a dollar yesterday. There is increasing pressure to show value for the things we purchase. This is changing the conversation and helping reframe the discussion of customer experience and customer care as drivers for growth.” - Harini Gokul
Harini emphasizes three main takeaways: Aligning contact center goals with growth strategies ensures accountability and positive impact. A learning culture keeps contact centers current and thriving. Lastly, treating contact centers as strategic assets and investing in agents can drive customer loyalty and business success.
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Pat Ferdig, Chief Customer Officer at 441 Locals, highlights the need to address systematic resistance to sub-par performance. He points to the crucial role in driving growth and advocates reframing contact centers as pivotal to company expansion, not just cost centers. He stresses a human-centric approach, including listening to agents and integrating them into cross-functional teams. Pat asserts that organizations can enhance performance and success by showcasing the contact center's value in improving customer experience and revenue growth.
“A humanistic approach has led companies that have gone out and contributed significantly to their valuation numbers by understanding how you address this issue of satisfactory underperformance.” - Pat Ferdig
In short, contact centers should be viewed as growth engines, not just cost centers. Prioritizing agents and adopting a humanistic approach can enhance customer experience, drive revenue, and set companies apart. Leaders must highlight their value to executives, showing their impact on renewals, repeat purchases, and satisfaction, thus making them strategic assets.
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